Letters to the editor: May 14

Pope Francis has recently spoken of the “culture of death” that is reflected in the lack of respect for life “from conception to natural death.” There is another “death culture” that the world has been living with since the end of World War II and the on-again, off-again Cold War between what was once two superpowers, but is now a club of nations with the tools for great destructive capability. Many nations have increased their levels of destructive capability, leaving all humankind to live in the shadow of total destruction.

The expressed purpose of the technical capability of advanced weaponry is to deter aggression. And so the nations of the world develop sophisticated systems of guided missiles, chemical and bacteriological agents, and drones, along with the endless gimmickry of subversion, intrigue and covert manipulation of foreign affairs.

A majority of the world’s population lives under conditions of deprivation of food, of medical care and of hope to partake in a more constructive shaping of the lives of their children. The “death culture” has consumed money, time and talent that could be better used for schools and hospitals, and to improve conditions for people around the globe.

The “death culture” is found in the military expenditures of nations around the globe. We must find a way to turn our creative energies away from international power and inward to the people of our cities and countryside. The first step is to move away from current modes of thought that shape our national budget and our foreign policy.

Robert Perrucci

West Lafayette

Student-athlete degree work is a great idea

A recent letter writer’s suggestion (“Why not apply Division 1 athletics toward a degree?” May 13) is the best I have heard in order to answer the issue of compensating student athletes for their contributions to the very significant amount of money generated by college athletic programs.

It helps the student-athletes reach their required credits toward graduation yet reinforces the notion of students going to college to earn a degree.

Betsy Swisher

Tampa, Fla.

What we’re allowing to happen to our own daughters

Lately, the news of the kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls has been broadcast on every network. While this is a sad development, and one’s heart reaches out to the victims and their parents, it is not a new predicament to the Third World countries.

But how is this, the First World nation, the land of the free, different from those impoverished and illiterate nations? Granted we don’t have to kidnap our daughters to have them perform depraved activities; they do them under sheer media and peer pressure.

Our girls grow up with an ideology different than the sharia; it is the ideology of Disney, followed by MTV and other media. She has to look a certain way. The focus is all on the body, and the more the body can be shown, the better. Those who are even a little chubby are called fat. There is a high rate of eating disorder starting in middle school. Smart girls are called derogatory names. Cliques start as early as kindergarten. Pairing between the boys and girls starts in elementary school, and those who don’t want to pair are ostracized. Is it any surprise that by the time these girls are in high school, they are more than willing to engage in high-risk behavior? By that time, they have lost all self-esteem, and the only way they can build it is by being on the arm of a hormone-crazed boy.

As the mother of a young daughter, yes, I feel sorry for those girls in Nigeria; but I worry more for the girls in this country, who, without being kidnapped, are doing exactly what those girls are being made to do; but our girls are doing it not against their will, but by the sanction of the society.

Amber Hussain

West Lafayette

Proud of the work of American Legion Post 11

I recently read in the J&C the obituary of Joseph Smith III, who served his country during World War II and the Korean conflict. While raising a wonderful family in Lafayette, he served the American Legion Post 11 as adjutant for 32 consecutive years, as well as being active in other capacities at the Legion. He exemplified service to the veterans and families in our community.

The American Legion Post 11 family is a good steward to our wonderful community by sponsoring and supporting the following programs: Boys State, Girls State, oratorical contests, baseball teams, placing flags on veterans’ graves and the active participation of the Honor Guard. As a former past commander now living in Ohio, I am proud of the work by Post 11, and may God bless you all.

W. Harold Young

Athens, Ohio

Your turn

Submit letters to the editor of 250 words or fewer to editor@jconline.com or to 217 N. Sixth St., Lafayette, IN 47901. Please include your name, town and phone number, for confirmation purposes.